Belly fat has long been blamed for obesity-related disease but it may actually only be something of an innocent bystander, according to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Liver fat may be the important risk factor for obesity-related metabolic disorders often linked to diabetes, heart disease and other diseases. Includes comments by senior investigator and WUSTL nutrition expert Samuel Klein.

References:

1. Aug. 26, 2009 — Belly fat may be innocent bystander in the United Press International

and 2 others.

Evidence has been mounting for years that the practice of caloric restriction — essentially, going on a permanent diet — greatly reduces the risk of age-related diseases and even postpones death. Now, in a much-anticipated HIH study, many of the same benefits have been demonstrated in primates, the best evidence yet that caloric restriction would help people. Includes comments by WUSTL nutritional science expert Luigi Fontana.

References:

1. July 9, 2009 — Permanent diet may equal longer life in the Los Angeles Times

and 8 others.

The dieting world screams with contradictory advice, but a new study says the key is reducing calories. WUSTL nutrition expert Luigi Fontana, who studies the effects of calorie restriction on longevity, comments.

References:

1. Feb. 25, 2009 — Low-fat? Low-carbs? Answering best diet question in the CNN.com

Morley Safer meets with members of CRS, the Calorie Restriction Society, a group that's been severely restricting their calories for years now. They are also part of a WUSTL study to see if this kind of self-denial make them live longer, healthier lives.

References:

1. Jan. 25, 2009 — Fountain Of Youth In A Wine Rx? in the CBS 60 Minutes

Anne Underwood writes on the biology of aging and anti-aging research being done by scientists, including WUSTL nutritional sciences professor Luigi Fontana, who is tracking the progress of 45 members of the Calorie Restriction Society.

References:

1. Dec. 15, 2008 — Never Say Die in the Newsweek

and 1 others.

One of the largest studies of its kind shows just how sluggish American children become once they hit the teen years: While 90 percent of 9-year-olds get a couple of hours of exercise most days, fewer than 3 percent of 15-year-olds do.
WUSTL nutrition expert Samuel Klein, director of WUSTL medical school's Human Nutritioin Center, said the research provides a more powerful snapshot than previous studies.

References:

1. July 16, 2008 — Study: When kids become teens, they get sluggish in the Associated Press Online

and 79 others.

People with metabolic syndrome run four times the risk of heart disease and seven times the risk of diabetes as those without the condition. According to the June issue of Human Molecular Genetics, WUSTL nutrition researchers found the variations on the CD36 gene, located in a part of chromosome 7 previously associated with metabolic syndrome in other studies.

References:

1. June 19, 2008 — Metabolic Syndrome May Be in the Genes in the Washington Post

and 9 others.

Some of the best things you can do for your heart do not involve deprivation or medication. Simple and even pleasurable changes in the foods you eat can rival medication in terms of the benefit to your heart.
WUSTL epidemiology professor Graham Colditz comments on why many people are not getting the message.

References:

1. May 13, 2008 — Eating Your Way to a Sturdy Heart in the The New York Times

Human studies plus laboratory work with yeast, worms, flies and rodents are propelling scientists closer to understanding what causes aging, how to delay it -- and how to translate such progress from the lab to real life.
One of the studies mentioned was the first calorie restriction clinical trials conducted by WUSTL and LSU.

References:

1. April 22, 2008 — Longevity quest moves slowly from lab to life in the MSNBC.com

and 2 others.

The recent report that having a pot belly in your 40s roughly triples your risk of dementia in later life is just the tip of an ominous iceberg. WUSTL research on liposuction in which found no change in the women's cholesterol levels, triglycerides, insulin sensitivity or other health risks. "If they had lost that much fat by dieting, they would have substantially improved their metabolic profile, but they didn't," says Samuel Klein, director of WUSM's Center for Human Nutrition and the study's principal investigator.

References:

1. April 15, 2008 — Gut Check: Why Doctors Say Not All Fat Is Created Equal in the The Wall Street Journal

and 2 others.

David Carr, clinical director of WUSTL's division of geriatrics and nutritional science, said the fact that McCain has gone five years without a melanoma recurrence is good news.

References:

1. March 27, 2008 — McCain works to answer age and health questions in the Boston Globe

and 5 others.

Reporting in the October issue of Behavioral Neuroscience, scientists from the University at Buffalo say people with genetically lower levels of dopamine, a brain chemical that helps make eating and other behaviors more rewarding, may be driven to consume more food.
Samuel Klein, director of WUSTL's Center for Human Nutrition, said the study "addresses an important and relatively overlooked area in obesity -- the contribution of reward addiction in the regulation of food intake."

References:

1. Oct. 17, 2007 — Genes Might Help Drive Overeating in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 7 others.

Matt Lauer hosts this segment and speaks with nutrition experts about new research that suggests that some types of obesity may be linked to a common virus.
WUSTL nutrition researcher Samuel Klein is one of the experts commenting.

References:

1. Aug. 22, 2007 — Dr. Louis Arrone discusses new research showing some obesity may be caused by virus in the NBC Today Show

Leptin, a hormone that helps to control feelings of hunger, also appears to govern the desire to eat, British researchers report.
The finding could lead to new insights into obesity and how to treat the condition, the researchers said.
One nutrition expert doesn't think enough is known about how leptin works to change the way obese patients are currently treated to control their appetite. Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at WUSTL, comments.

References:

1. Aug. 9, 2007 — Hormone found to govern desire for food in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 9 others.

We've known that all those calories and sugar in regular soda can be a problem. But now a new study says even diet soda could put you in harm's way. Specifically, soda drinkers are at a 31% increased risk of obesity, a 30% increased likelihood of an expanding waistline, and a 25% increased risk of have been abnormal sugar levels. WUSTL's Connie Diekman says the study does not conclusively show the risk.

References:

1. July 24, 2007 — Good Morning America in the ABC News

Consumer Reports magazine examines diet programs in its June issue.
WUSTL nutrition expert Samuel Klein comments on the problem unrealistic expectations can cause dieters.

References:

1. May 8, 2007 — Study: Dieters slather on the optimism in the USA Today

If you crave salty foods, you may have been born prematurely and lacking in sodium. And this might leave you vulnerable to weight gain, a new Israeli study suggests.
One researcher said, "There are about eight studies now that show that some form of sodium loss or deficiency [before or after birth] is associated with increased salt appetite in later childhood or adulthood."
WUSTL nutrition expert Connie Diekman called the study interesting but said it has limitations.
Your child's pediatrician can advise you on how much salt your child should be consuming daily.

References:

1. Jan. 25, 2007 — Love Salty Foods? You May Have Been Born With Low Blood Sodium in the The Washington Post

and 5 others.

There was a time that the word "organic" was a rare sight in the grocery store aisles.
No longer. Consumers today have a host of organic choices for a wide range of foods.
The question remains, however -- are organic choices really any better for you?
WUSTL nutrition specialist Connie Diekman comments.

References:

1. Nov. 29, 2006 — Are organic foods better for you? in the ABCnews.com

While we all know that excess pounds increase your risk of certain diseases, you may not realize that where you carry the weight makes a big difference. Researchers have found that abdominal fat could be even more hazardous to your health.
WUSTL nutrition expert Samuel Klein, director of the Center for Human Nutrition, explains why.

References:

1. May 23, 2006 — The hidden dangers of belly fat in the MSNBC.com

Earlier this month, one of the first human studies of calorie restriction showed that people on the strict diet had younger hearts than normal-weight people on a typical Western diet.
This new research shows that calorie-restriction diets -- which cut calories by as much as 40% of your normal intake -- may help you live a longer life.
WUSTL nutritional studies researcher Luigi Fontana comments.

References:

1. Jan. 31, 2006 — Reducing your daily calories by 40%: The science behind 'starvation' diets in the Wall Street Journal

and 3 others.